This meal plan has four dinner recipes and one side dish. Eating Mediterranean isn’t only delicious, it’s also good for you.
Researchers at Columbia University recently studied 674 Manhattan residents with the average age of 80 and found that the brains of those who ate a Mediterranean diet — mostly vegetables, legumes, grains, and some fish, little meat and diary — were more robust. They had more grey matter, which was the equivalent of slowing the aging process by five years.
From an article in The Guardian: “There is an increasing amount of evidence that eating a healthy diet rich in fish, vegetables, legumes, and nuts is good for your brain,” said Dr. James Pickett, the head of research at the Alzheimer’s Society. “This study delves further into the potential benefits that diet could have, but it does not prove that a Mediterranean-style diet can stop your brain from shrinking as you age.”
1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry (or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
For the dressing
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons dijon style mustard
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
For the salad
1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1 cucumber, finely chopped
1 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a bowl, combine the chickpeas with spices and oil. Lay them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in the oven until slightly browned and crisp, about 35 to 40 minutes. Toss chickpeas halfway through cooking time.
To make the dressing, combine the lemon juice, mustard, garlic and salt in a bowl. Drizzle in olive oil while whisking continuously. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Set aside.
Place the cauliflower florets in the bowl of a large food processor. Pulse until the cauliflower reaches a fine, crumbled consistency.
Transfer the cauliflower to a large bowl and combine with the cherry tomatoes, onion, olives, cucumber, parsley, pumpkin seeds, and crushed red pepper flakes. Toss well. Slowly drizzle with dressing and season to taste with salt and pepper. Once seasoned add roasted chickpeas and serve.
Prep Time:10
Cook Time:40
Nutrition
Serving Size:4
A wonderfully garlicky, lemony chicken dish that is guaranteed to become a favorite.
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1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the wilted lettuce salad
7 anchovy fillets (anchovies packed in olive oil, drained)
3 tablespoons drained capers, patted dry
1 large pinch red pepper chile flakes (1–2 tablespoons, depending on how spicy you want it)
2 lemons (1 for juice, another for garnish and for zest)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 cup fresh chopped parsley (half for the sauce, half for serving)
1 head romaine lettuce, halved
1 cup scallions (green and white parts), chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Season the chicken thighs with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper, set aside until ready to pan-sear. Mince two of the garlic cloves and set them aside for later.
In a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the 5 smashed whole garlic cloves, the anchovies, capers, lemon zest and chile. Let cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the anchovies, until the garlic browns around the edges and the anchovies dissolve, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the chicken thighs and cook until nicely browned on one side, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the thighs, place the pan in the oven and cook another 5 to 7 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
When chicken is done, transfer thighs to a plate (the pan has been in the oven and the handle is hot).
Place the skillet back on the medium-high heat and add minced garlic, sauté for about 15 seconds, then add the juice of one lemon, and 1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley. Cook for about 30 seconds, deglazing and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Put the chicken back in the pan and cook for about 30 seconds with the sauce. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter, top with half the sauce.
In the pan put the scallions and romaine lettuce, cook for about 30 seconds or until the lettuce is wilted, coating with sauce.
Transfer the lettuce and scallions to a serving platter. Pour half of the remaining lemony, garlicky, anchovy sauce over the greens and drizzle a little olive oil over the lettuce and scallions, and season with pepper. Pour the rest of the sauce over the chicken and squeeze half a lemon over the chicken and garnish with the rest of the chopped parsley.
Prep Time:10
Cook Time:20
Nutrition
Serving Size:4
A delicious stew rich in flavor, high in antioxidants.
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1 very large bunch chard, stems sliced ½-inch thick, leaves torn into bite-size pieces
2 carrots, diced
1 small butternut squash, cut into bite-size chunks
1 pound dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in water to cover
1 splash (about 2 tablespoons) of unfiltered apple cider vinegar
Juice from 1 lemon
Juice from 1 lime
2 tablespoons chopped preserved lemon or fresh lemon zest, more to taste
½ cup fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
(Optional) arugula, for garnish
Instructions
Heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Add onion and jalapeños and sauté until limp, 3 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, salt, turmeric, paprika, cinnamon, cumin, black pepper and cayenne and sauté until they release their fragrance, about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and sauté for another minute, until darkened but not burned.
Add butternut squash, chard stems, carrot and cauliflower, and continue to sauté until vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes. Add chickpeas and water to barely cover.
Return heat to high if you lowered it and bring to a simmer. Partly cover pot, lower heat to medium low, and simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until chickpeas are softened. Add the lemon and lime juice and the splash of apple cider vinegar. Add more water if needed (this should be like a stew).
Add chard leaves, 1/2 the cilantro, and preserved lemon or the fresh lemon zest to pot, and continue simmering until chard is tender, about 5 minutes longer. Season with more salt if desired, and serve garnished with cilantro and arugula, if you want the extra peppery bite.
Prep Time:750
Cook Time:120
Nutrition
Serving Size:6
Everything in the salad is very, very good for your health and your taste buds. Your mouth will be happy, your skin will be bright, and you’ll have energy to spare.
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A hearty, delicious salad that nourishes you on every level.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Salad
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large lemon, juiced
4 medium-sized zucchini, grilled, then diced
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 avocado, diced
1 large tomato, diced
1 cup of edamame, blanched
1 cup of basil (about 10 big leaves), torn
2 stalks of celery with leaves, diced
1 can or jar of wild-caught tuna in olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
For the Millet
1 cup millet, cooked
Sea salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon cumin
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 fresh basil, leaves torn
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
Instructions
Bring 2 cups of salted water to a boil, add 1 cup of millet, bring the heat down low, and cook the millet for about 15-20 minutes, until al dente, and the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and set aside with the lid on so it stays warm.
Halve the zucchinis lengthwise and brush with zucchini with olive oil, paprika, and salt. Grill (or bake) on medium high heat for about 5-7 minutes. Once cool enough to cut, chop into 1 inch pieces. Set aside.
Blanch the edamame (it cooks very quickly) for about 2 minutes.
Drain the tuna of the excess olive oil in the can or jar.
Finely dice the basil, red onion, and celery. Chop the tomatoes into bite-sized chunks, and the avocado into nice-sized pieces.
In a medium sized bowl put the warm millet, toss the onion and basil until the millet is flecked with red onion and green basil. Dress the millet with olive oil, cumin, making sure to stir so the olive fully coats the grain. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt. Add the avocado and basil and gently toss in the dressing. Add the zucchini, edamame, celery, and tomatoes, and gently toss until coated with the lemon dressing. Top with the chunks of tuna and toss once.
Season the millet and nicoise salads with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the salad on a plate with the millet on the side or, if you prefer, serve the salad over the millet.
Prep Time:10
Cook Time:20
Nutrition
Serving Size:4
This salad is a meal for 4 or a great side dish for 6. If it’s summer, I’d serve this with a big plate of fresh tomatoes and basil, drizzled with olive oil.
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French Lentil Salad with Potatoes, Cucumbers & Olives
Put the lentils, garlic, and bay leaves in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook until tender but firm, about 12-15 minutes. Drain the water and remove the garlic and bay leaves.
Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400°F.
Toss potatoes in a medium bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle generously with sea salt, and arrange potatoes in a single layer in a pan.
Roast until they are golden on the outside and tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool.
While the lentils and potatoes are cooling, make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, lemon juice, olive oil, and vinegar.
Put the lentils, potatoes cucumbers, olives, and mint in a large bowl. Gently stir until ingredients are combined.
Pour over the vinaigrette and gently toss, making sure dressing is evenly distributed.
